Aruba Airlines
| Company type | Airline |
|---|---|
| Industry | Aviation |
| Founded | 2006 |
| Founder | Onno J. de Swart |
| Headquarters | Oranjestad , Aruba |
Area served | Aruba, Caribbean, parts of South America, USA |
| Products | Scheduled and charter passenger flights |
| Website | www |
Aruba Airlines (officially known as Arubaanse Luchtvaart Maatschappij N.V.) operates as the national carrier and exclusive airline of Aruba. Established in 2006, the airline offers both scheduled and charter passenger flights to 13 different locations. Its main corporate office is situated in Oranjestad, Aruba, while the key maintenance facility is based in Miami. Aruba Airlines secured a U.S. Air Operator Certificate (AOC) in 2015.
History
Aruba Airlines was founded in 2006 by Onno J. de Swart and initiated charter services in 2010 utilizing a seven-seat Piper PA-31 Navajo. The airline’s principal operational hub is located in Oranjestad, Aruba, with supplementary offices spread across Miami, Curaçao, Bonaire, Maracaibo, Valencia, and Maracay.
Following new investment in early 2012, the airline upgraded its fleet to jet aircraft. It was granted an economic air operator's certificate in August 2012 and subsequently leased two Airbus A320 jets, each accommodating 150 passengers; the first aircraft arrived in November of that year. Charter operations began later in 2012, while scheduled flights launched on 31 March 2013 to Maracaibo, Venezuela, with Panama City added in July.
In December 2015, Aruba Airlines expanded its network by introducing flights to Curaçao and Santo Domingo utilizing Airbus A320 aircraft. However, by May 2016, services to Curaçao, Santo Domingo, and Panama were temporarily halted with intentions to restart later. The airline incorporated its first Airbus A319 in July 2016, which was delivered in December.
On 2 October 2017, Aruba Airlines revealed plans to resume flights to Curaçao and inaugurate a route to Bonaire using a Dash 8-300 aircraft ordered the previous month. Due to delays in the delivery of the Dash 8, service to Curaçao commenced on 25 October with a leased Bombardier CRJ200 instead. Future plans included acquiring an additional Dash 8-100 and a second CRJ200 painted in company colors. The launch of Bonaire service was aimed for November pending regulatory approval. Other destinations targeted for November included Barquisimeto and Punto Fijo.
Expansion intentions for 2018 featured routes to New York City, Argentina, and Bogotá, potentially operated by an Airbus A330 recently ordered. During the inaugural flight to Curaçao in November 2017, the CEO anticipated receiving four more aircraft within the following year beyond the CRJ200 acquisition.
Due to sanctions imposed by the Venezuelan government at the start of 2018, plans for fleet modernization were postponed until late that year.
Destinations
As of December 2023, Aruba Airlines operates flights to these locations:
Active fleet
As of November 2023, Aruba Airlines' operational fleet consists of a single aircraft:
| Aircraft type | Number in service | On order | Seating (Business Class) | Seating (Economy Class) | Total capacity | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airbus A320-200 | 1 | |||||
| 180 | 180 |
Previous fleet
The airline's historical fleet included the following types of aircraft:
| Aircraft type | Quantity | Year introduced | Year retired |
|---|---|---|---|
| Airbus A319-100 | 1 | 2016 | 2018 |
| Airbus A321-200 | 2 | 2021 | 2023 |
| Bombardier CRJ200 | 2 | 2017 | 2020 |
| Piper PA-31 Navajo | 1 | 2006 | Template:Unknown |